Terri Thompson

Coffee Filter Valentine Heart Suncatcher

January 25, 2018 By Terri Thompson

I love to decorate my windows for different holidays. Do you?

My favorite things to use are kid-made decorations. We’ve got some awesome Easter suncatchers, but nothing for Valentine’s Day.

That’s got to change.

So we got out a few simple supplies to make a colorful Coffee Filter Valentine Heart Suncatcher… or two or three.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Supplies Needed

Coffee filters
Red and pink liquid watercolors
Eye droppers
Red and pink construction paper
Scissors
Glue stick

How to make a coffee filter Valentine heart suncatcher

For the first part of the process, we’re going to paint our coffee filters with our liquid watercolor. But, don’t grab the paintbrushes, we’re going to add a fine motor twist and use eye droppers.

You’ll need one coffee filter per suncatcher. But, if you’re anything like us, you’ll want to create two or three heart suncatchers per person.

Set up a station for dying your coffee filters. I placed a paper towel on top of a plastic tray to protect my table. Then, pour some of each color of liquid watercolor into small containers. Flatten each of your coffee filters.

To paint the coffee filters, use the eye dropper to drip your paint onto the coffee filter. Set them aside to dry.

Your dripping paint will give you a fun, colorful tie-dye effect. They turned out so bright and beautiful!

Note: If you don’t have liquid watercolors, you could use water dyed with food coloring. The liquid watercolors are much brighter, so instead of vibrant suncatchers, you’ll have soft pastel suncatchers.

After your coffee filters have dried, cut out a heart outline from your construction paper.

I found that cutting the construction paper in half and then using that half to make a traditional folded-paper heart was the perfect size for our coffee filter.

Use your glue stick to attach your heart outline to the coffee filter.

Trim the edges of the coffee filter so that they’re even with the construction paper heart.

Once everything is trimmed, it’s time to hang your heart suncatcher in your window.

Make enough for all your windows. They definitely brighten up a cold winter day!

If you enjoyed this heart suncatcher craft, the above photo is perfect for sharing on Facebook or you can share the photo below on Pinterest.

You may also enjoy one of these fun Valentine’s Day crafts:

Stained Glass Window Valentines

Monochromatic Art Valentine’s Day Art

Valentine Watercolor Resist Painting

Marbled Valentine Hearts from Views from a Step Stool

10 Ways to Explore Nature In Winter

January 24, 2018 By Terri Thompson

I don’t know about you, but winter is always the hardest season for me to come up with ideas to get us outside and exploring nature. It’s cold, it’s windy, everything is dormant… you know what I’m talking about, right?

So, what can you do?

I did some searching and came up with 10 fun kids activities to help us get out and explore nature in winter. Get out and explore those things that are unique to winter. You won’t even notice the cold.

10 Ways to Explore Nature in Winter

1. Feed the birds.

Use existing bird feeders or make your own, like our simple bird feeders. Put the bird feeders close to a window and provide small notebooks, binoculars and a bird book. See what kind of birds live in your neighborhood in the winter. (Special note: if you do decide to feed the birds, please continue to feed them until spring comes and they are able to find their own food.)

2. Explore ice.

What are its properties? When does it melt? Try to break it. Mama Smiles recently spent some time exploring ice. Check out all the fun they had!

3. Learn to read an outdoor thermometer and check the temperature outside.

Use the opportunity to learn a little about weather and the characteristics of winter in your area.

4. Learn about snowflakes.

Look at them up close with a magnifying glass. What do you see? Teach Preschool shows you how to catch snowflakes on black paper so you can examine them up close.

5. Explore rocks.

It doesn’t matter the season, rocks are always in abundance. Have fun exploring and learning about rocks. Or, you can do like Kitchen Counter Chronicles and make rock art.

Even when the world is covered with snow, there are many fun ways to explore nature in winter with kids. Bundle up, go outside, and learn about snow, ice, and other things that are unique to winter.

6. Look for signs of life.

Winter is the time of year when many plants are dormant. But, not everything! Go exploring and see if you can find any signs of life. If you need inspiration, Rainy Day Mum recently went searching for fairy homes (aka mushrooms).

7. Give your kids a camera and see what they can find.

Go on a photo walk with your kids. What do you notice? See the beauty in the details. Here are some great tips from Peanut Blossom for going on a photo walk.

8. Read a book about winter animals and look for signs of wildlife.

Try finding foot prints near a wooded area. Learn about which animals hibernate and which ones need to forage for food in the winter. Animals in Winter (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science) by Henrietta Bancroft is a great resource for this activity.

You can also find some great Winter Nature Books here that will encourage you and your kids to get out and explore.

9. Bring it inside.

If it’s too cold to go outside and explore, bring some nature indoors. Set up a nature table with all the nature treasures you’ve collected throughout the year. Or, you can do like Mama Smiles did and bring some snow indoors to play. You don’t always have to be outside to explore nature!

10. Make art.

Get creative. Use the natural items that you find and make beautiful art. The Chocolate Muffin Tree made this beautiful snowy land art for Valentine’s Day.

Bonus activity:

PLAY! Throw snowballs, make a snow angel, collect sticks, and most of all have fun!

No matter the season, there are always great things to discover in nature. Bundle up and have some fun while you explore nature in winter.

Easy to Play Card Games for Family Game Night

January 18, 2018 By Terri Thompson

My family loves card games. Does yours?

We’ve acquired many fun card games over the years and we often pull them out for family game night.

Do you have any favorite easy to play card games for families? Here are some of our favorites that would be perfect for your next family game night.

Easy to play card games that are fun for preschoolers

So many of our card games are perfect for older kids and tweens (ages 8 and up), but you can still find some fun and easy to play card games if you have younger kids. All of the ages mentioned are the manufacturer recommended age ranges.

One of the biggest struggles with card games for younger kids is that it’s so hard to hold onto the cards. We had a set of these Little Hands Playing Card Holders when my girls were younger which solved that problem for us.

Classic card games are a great place to start with younger kids. This set of card games from Melissa and Doug has Old Maid, Go Fish, and Rummy. (Ages 3 to 8)

This fun Animal Go Fish Card Games takes the traditional game and adds bright and beautiful animal pictures that makes it perfect for kids who aren’t reading yet. (Ages 3 and up)

The focus of this Untamed America 3-1 Classic Card Game are the fabulous North American animal illustrations, but I also love that you can play three different games with this one deck, Go Fish, Old Maid, and Animal Match. (Ages 4 to 9)

We had this fantastic version of Crazy 8 when my kids were younger. The rules of Crazy Faces are exactly the same as Crazy 8, but the illustrations on the cards are so much fun! (Ages 5 and up)

Fun and easy to play card games for younger kids (ages 6 and 7)

Spot It! is a fun game of visual memory that is great for all ages. There are so many versions from Spot It! Jr. Animals (ages 4 to 6) to Spot It! Sports and Spot It! Holidays (both ages 6 and up).

Rat-A-Tat Cat is a fun (and quick) game that combines strategy, memory building, and addition. It’s a great choice for when you only have a short amount of time. (Ages 6 and up)

Wig Out! A Wild and Hairy Card Game is another quick and fun choice that will have you racing against your opponents. My favorite part is all the fun illustrations! (Ages 6 and up)

Slamwich is fast, fun, and can be loud! It’s a great choice for family game night. (Ages 6 and up)

The Professor Noggin Card Games are part card game, part trivia games. I love that there are so many versions and that they cover specific topics such as the human body, reptiles and amphibians, and wonders of the world. (Ages 7 and up)

Have you played Exploding Kittens yet? Oh my goodness, this is probably the most hilarious game on the list and the one that shows up most often during family game night. (Ages 7 and up)

Skip-Bo is a classic game and it was one of my favorite games from childhood. This sequencing game is simple to play and so much fun. (Ages 7 and up)

Uno is another card game I played a lot while growing up. You can play with 2 players, but it’s more fun the more players you have. (Ages 7 ad up)

Phase 10 is a fun rummy style card game with a twist. It can be lengthy, but it’s great fun! (Ages 7 and up)

Fun card games for older kids (ages 8 and up)

I love the idea that someone decided to create a card game inspired by sushi. Fun! Sushi Go! is a quick and easy to play card game that involves passing cards and creating sets. (Ages 8 and up)

Sleeping Queens is unlike any card game I’ve ever played before. And, it’s tons of fun (it’s one of my favorites on this list.) It’s a great game that uses strategy and a little bit of luck. (Ages 8 and up)

Despite that fact that Rack-O is over 50 years old, I hadn’t played it until recently. Boy, was I missing out! This is a fun game that involves sequencing. (Ages 8 and up)

The Scrambled States of America Game is fast and wild and tons of fun. It’s not the best for younger kids because you need to be able to read to play, but for older kids this geography game is tons of fun. (Ages 8 and up)

Card games on our wish list

Set: The Family Game of Visual Perception (ages 6 and up). This award winning game always comes highly recommended. I’m not sure why we don’t have it in our game collection yet!

Five Crowns. This is a fun rummy style game that also comes highly recommended. It’s high on my with list!

Zeus on the Loose. We’ve got several Gamewright games that we love. This mythology themed game looks like so much fun.

What other easy to play card games would you recommend for family game night?

Stained Glass Window Valentines

January 16, 2018 By Terri Thompson

Our Valentine’s Day crafting has begun! My oldest has been begging me for a few days now to make Valentines, so out came all the red and pink paper.

Our first project was to make Stained Glass Window Valentines.

These kid-made Stained Glass Window Valentines are such a fun Valentines gift for family and friends. This is such a pretty Valentines craft for kids. #ValentinesDay #kidscrafts #CreativeFamilyFun

This project is so much fun and can be done by kids of all ages. Your toddler can easily make the tissue paper collages. Older kids can tackle the entire project from start to finish. My preschooler did everything except cutting the heart shape from the card stock.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.

Supplies needed

Card stock or other stiff paper
Scrapbook paper or other decorative paper
Contact paper
Tissue paper torn into small pieces
Glue stick

How to make your Stained Glass Window Valentines

I did a bit of prep for this project by cutting heart shapes out of the card stock and scrapbook paper and also cutting the contact paper into small squares (large enough to cover the heart shape you cut).

When cutting out the heart shapes I cut a piece of card stock and a piece of scrapbook paper at the same time by placing them back to back. I wanted the heart shapes to be the same size and in the same location since we would be gluing them together later.

I taped the contact paper down to the table sticky side up and had the girls start layering the tissue paper bits.

Taping down the contact paper is not necessary, but it is a big help! It will keep the contact paper from moving all over the place.

Once the girls were finished with the tissue paper, we layered a second piece of contact paper over the top and trimmed the excess tissue paper from around the edges.

Using the glue stick, cover the piece of card stock with glue, paying close attention to the edges.

Put your contact paper collage over the heart shape then layer the decorative paper over the top, lining up your heart shapes.

Now you have a lovely flat note card with room to add your own message. Make sure to hold your Stained Glass Window Valentines up to the light and see how pretty it is when the light shines through!

Have you started making Valentines yet?

Cardboard Tube Elephant Craft

January 10, 2018 By Terri Thompson

Do you love elephants?

I do! Despite their enormous size, they’re just so cute.

So, to add on to our cardboard tube zoo, we’re making a cardboard tube elephant craft (or two or three)!

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.

Supplies Needed:

Empty cardboard tube
Thin cardboard (from a cereal or cracker box)
Scissors
Gray craft paint
Glue
Googly eyes

You should have most of the supplies you need in both your recycling bin or craft closet. Let’s get crafting!

How to make your Cardboard Tube Elephant Craft:

First, you need to paint your entire cardboard tube with your gray paint.

While that’s drying, you can create your ears and trunk.

Draw two ears and a trunk on your thin cardboard. (You can see the basic shapes below.) Basically, you want two fat bean shapes for the ears and one tube with one end fatter than the other for your trunk.

Paint the ears and the trunk with your gray paint.

After the paint has dried, cut out your trunk and ears.

Fold your trunk accordion style a couple of time for a more three-dimensional look.

Finally, glue on all your pieces.

Glue the ears onto the backside of your cardboard tube, so you see the gray side from the front of your elephant craft. The top of the ears should only be a little higher than the top of your cardboard tube.

Glue the wide end of your trunk to the front of the tube high enough that the bottom of the trunk is even with or slightly higher than the bottom of your tube.

Next, glue your two eyes above the trunk.

Once you’re done, let the glue dry and then your Cardboard Tube Elephant is ready to add to your zoo.

If you enjoyed this elephant craft, the above photo is perfect for sharing on Facebook or you can save the photo below on Pinterest.

Terri Thompson

Coffee Filter Valentine Heart Suncatcher

Supplies Needed

How to make a coffee filter Valentine heart suncatcher

You may also enjoy one of these fun Valentine’s Day crafts:

10 Ways to Explore Nature In Winter

10 Ways to Explore Nature in Winter

1. Feed the birds.

2. Explore ice.

3. Learn to read an outdoor thermometer and check the temperature outside.

4. Learn about snowflakes.

5. Explore rocks.

6. Look for signs of life.

7. Give your kids a camera and see what they can find.

8. Read a book about winter animals and look for signs of wildlife.

9. Bring it inside.

10. Make art.

Bonus activity:

You may also like one of these fun ideas:

Easy to Play Card Games for Family Game Night

Easy to play card games that are fun for preschoolers

Fun and easy to play card games for younger kids (ages 6 and 7)

Fun card games for older kids (ages 8 and up)

Card games on our wish list

You may also like one of these family fun ideas:

Stained Glass Window Valentines

Supplies needed

How to make your Stained Glass Window Valentines

You may also like one of these fun Valentine ideas:

Cardboard Tube Elephant Craft

Supplies Needed:

How to make your Cardboard Tube Elephant Craft:

You may also like one of these animal crafts:

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Terri Thompson

Supplies Needed

How to make a coffee filter Valentine heart suncatcher

You may also enjoy one of these fun Valentine’s Day crafts:

10 Ways to Explore Nature in Winter

1. Feed the birds.

2. Explore ice.

3. Learn to read an outdoor thermometer and check the temperature outside.

4. Learn about snowflakes.

5. Explore rocks.

6. Look for signs of life.

7. Give your kids a camera and see what they can find.

8. Read a book about winter animals and look for signs of wildlife.

9. Bring it inside.

10. Make art.

Bonus activity:

You may also like one of these fun ideas:

Easy to play card games that are fun for preschoolers

Fun and easy to play card games for younger kids (ages 6 and 7)

Fun card games for older kids (ages 8 and up)

Card games on our wish list

You may also like one of these family fun ideas:

Supplies needed

How to make your Stained Glass Window Valentines

You may also like one of these fun Valentine ideas:

Supplies Needed:

How to make your Cardboard Tube Elephant Craft:

You may also like one of these animal crafts:

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